GPs' prescription routines and cooperation with other healthcare personnel before and after implementation of multidose drug dispensing.

BACKGROUND

This study addresses GPs' attitudes towards multidose drug dispensing before and after implementation and their perceived experience of how multidose drug dispensing affects prescription and communication routines for patients in the home care services. This study contributes to a method triangulation with two other studies on the introduction of multidose drug dispensing in Trondheim.

METHODS

A controlled before-and-after study carried out in Trondheim (intervention) and Tromsø (control). A questionnaire was distributed to all GPs in the two towns in 2005 with a follow-up questionnaire in 2008.

RESULTS

The GPs in Trondheim showed a positive attitude to multidose drug dispensing both before and after the implementation. Increased workload was reported, but still the GPs wanted the system to be continued. Most of the GPs reported a better overview of the patients' medication and a supposed reduction in medication errors. The GPs' prescription- and communication routines were changed only for the multidose drug users and not for the other patients in the home care services.

CONCLUSIONS

The study supports the results presented in two previous publications according to GPs' positive attitude towards multidose drug dispensing, their better overview of the patients' medications, and improved cooperation with the pharmacy. This study adds to our understanding of prescription routines among GPs and the use of the medication module in the electronic health record.